Holdback for vehicles



(No Model.) l

J.. P. 'VAN DUSEN.

` HOLDBAGK PoR- VEHICLES. NO- 388,46@ Patentedv Aug. 28, 188,8.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES P. VAN DUSEN, OF BENTON HARBOR, MICHIGAN.

HOLDBACK FOR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 388,466, dated August 28, 1888.

VApplication filed January 16, 1888. Serial No..20,847. V(No model.)

To @ZZ whom, may concern.-

Beit known that I, JAMES P. VAN DUsEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Benton Harbor, in the county of Berrien and State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Holdback Attachments for Vehicles, of which the following is a specitication.

My invention relates to improvements in holdback attachments for vehicles; and its objects are to provide a contrivance to be secured to the thills of vehicles and connected with the breeching of the harness, the parts of which when joined will firmly keep their position and will not rattle while the vehicle is in motion,and which will permit the breeching to be automatically disconnected from the thills if the traces become detached while the vehicle is in motion. Iattain these objects by the contrivance illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of my holdback attachment for vehicles. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a side of the same opposite to that shown in Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a plan section of the same, taken on thelinel l in Fig. l. Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 2 2`in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the portion of the same which embraces the spring and tongue. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the hook vportion of the same. Fig. 8 is an end elevation ofthe hook part.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

My invention consists oftwo separable parts. One of these is secured to the thills, the other to the harness.

In the drawings, A is the holder secured to the thills; B, the hook connected with the harness.

rIhe holder A consists of ashort rectangular metal bar continuing in the tongue A. This tongue is beveled at its outer end, and a socket is made in the bar ilush with the'tongue on one side and beveled on the side opposite the tongue.

A2 is a spring secured to the bar parallel to the tongue and contiguous to the beveled side of said socket. At its outer end this spring has the lug a beveled to correspond with the bevel ofthe tongue. A side, A3, of the bar,

In operating my invention the holder A is secured to the under side of a thill by any suitable means,with its tongue and spring toward the front end of the thill, and the hook is fastened to the breeching of the harness by a strap of suitable length to keep the crossbar of the thills a proper distance from the animal that draws the vehicle. The lug B is secured between the sides of B a little below their edges. Inserting the lug B between the tongue A and the lug a of the spring A2 and pushing it in until a passes down over the other beveled end ofthe lug B the latter will fit snugly in the holder A, the spring will lit between the sides of the hook B, and one side of B will tit closely between the tongue A and the spring A2 and the side Aa of the holder A. Thus the hook will be kept firmly in position, since the pressure of the spring and the close lit of the side of B between the tongue and spring and the side of A will prevent B from rattling, and the lug on the spring Will prevent it from being shaken out of its place.

If the traces become detached from the vehicle and the ends of the thills drop to the ground,the beveled lug a on the spring A2 will permit the hook to be drawn out of the holder. Thus the harness Will become completely detached from the vehicle.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters4 Patent of the United States, is#- Y 1. A holdback attachment for vehicles, consisting of the holder A, provided with the tongue A', the spring A2, with its beveled lug a, secured to the under side of athill of a vehicle, in combination with the hook B, comprising the beveled lug B', the lug B2, and the socket b, as and for the purposes specified.

2. In a holdback attachment for vehicles, the holder A, provided with the spring A, with its beveled lug a, the tongue A', and the IOO side A3, separated from said tongue and. spring l b, "and the two sides embracing said elements to a distance equal to the thickness of a side of and extending outward a short distance bethe hook B, secured to a thill of a vehicle, yond the lug B,in combination with the holder in combination with the hook B, as and for A and the breeching of the harness, as and the purposes specified.

3. In holdback attachment for vehicles, the hook B, composed of the lug B', beveled at each end on the same side, the lug B2, extending downward at an obtuse angle, the socket l for the purposes specified.

JAMES P. VAN DUSEN. Witnesses:

J. P. VAN DUsEN, Jr., J. N. ELLIOTT. 

